Fireproofing composition



' I D STATES PATE O E 2.225.831 nnnrnoor'mo. oomos'mou Walter Her-r, Vienna, Austria No Drawing. Application March 29, 1935, serial No. 13,783. In Austria March 13, 1935 9 Claims. (01. le -was) This invention relates to a fireprooflng composition.

" The new composition may be applied for fir proofing fabric, paper, card-board, wood, electric insulations, and in fact broadly speaking for fire- 7 proofing any'inilammable material.-

1 The inventionrelates more particularly to a flreprooflng composition having the nature and the properties of an impregnating composition: 1. e. adhesive, preserving and softening capacity. My flreprooflng medium is composed of borax,

. ammonium phosphate and ammonium chloride.

I have'found, that these three substances canbe combined in such proportions that their solution, when applied to the matter to be treated,

does not shrink after having dried up nor does I it dust out or crystallize, nor exert any corrosive action in contact with metal. For the specified purpose the constituents are employed in approximately equal proportions by weight. The flame-prooflng medium thus obtained renders most valuable service for instances in impregnating insulating material of electric cables. It is not hygroscopic, it does not attack the wire encased in the insulating material, and it remains unaltered even after prolonged storage.

' These properties of the impregnating solution 7 according to the invention, more particularly its behavior in contact with metal", areof advantage for most 'of the materials impregnated therewith,

Ifsince it is often necessary to bring the impregnated mattersuch as fabric, cardboard, paper,

or wood into contact with metals. This is the case for instance with metallic fabrics, brocades, materials which have to be nailedv or to be provided with a metal frame, and the like.v A further advantage obtained in-working with solutions of t the said description consists in the fact that the implements used for the preparation and application of the impregnating medium, and more particularlyspraying apparatus, are no longer subject to corrosion. The materials treated with these solutions can also be employed as fire ex- 'tinguishing media. An open fire will be immediately extinguished if wood-wool, wood shavings or a blanket impregnated with this solution be thrown on to it. To the impregnating medium described there may with advantage be added other substances of a nature to increase its adhesive properties or to exert a preserving effect upon the solution and/or upon the matter impregnated, or to serve as a softening agent, or for other similar purposes. Such substances have as a rule an effect opposite to that of flame-proofing. It has however been discovered that these various additional substances added to an impregnating medium will be far more eflicie'nt at the same concentration if they have been previously subjected to an 5 irradiation with x-rays, short or ultra short waves, or with ultra-violet rays. If for instance dextrine be added to an impregnating solution in order to increase its adhesive properties, the

' employment of dextrine previously irradiated en- 10 ables the same effect to be obtained as with approximately twice the quantity of non-irradiated dextrine. This result is of particular importance in view of the fact that the influence of the The quantities of preserving substances pro- 25 posed for addition when the medium is intended for the impregnating of wood, such as sodium fluoride, sublimate, copper sulphate and the like, which have an influence counter to flame-proofing, may likewise be reduced to the same extent by previous irradiation, without prejudice to the preserving and fungicidal properties of the product, With the reduction of these additions the poisonous action attributed thereto can be sub- 'stantially diminished. Moreover, in consequence of the irradiation of these substances the penetrating eflect of the solution is increased and the impregnating process is accelerated. At the same time there is far less danger of the solution 40 washing out of the impregnated material.

a It is not necessary to employ equal amounts by weight 01 ammonium phosphate and borax.

On the contrary the quantity of ammonium phosphate may be somewhat greater or less than the quantity of borax used, without the impregnating solution losing its good properties. Particular care, however, must be taken, that inconsideration of the quantities of ammonium phosphate employed the other constituents are employed in s quantities sufficient to approximatelyneutralize the acidity of the ammonium phosphate.

The substances employed to increase the adhesive properties of the impregnating medium. or to serve as preservative or softening agent,

the eflicacy of which is improved by irradiation, can be subjected to the said irradiation treatment alone or in commixture with other substances employed for the impregnating solution in a dissolved or undissolved state.

Examples used for medical purposes, at a distance of 2 meters. The textile fibre, the cardboard or the paper destined for the sheathing of the wire is placed in the bath at a temperature of 30 to 35 C. Alternatively the fibre or other material may be drawn slowly through the bath or treated with the solution in a dyeing apparatus. The impregnated flbrous'matter is then gently centrifuged and dried at room temperature. Cable fires due to short-circuits, which are so dangerous for instance upon ships .and electric locomotives, can be perfectly localized and immediately smothered by the employment of the described solution.

(2) For the impregnation of brocade, such as is used, for instance, for stage costumes and decorative purposes, a mixture of 3 parts each of borax, ammonium phosphate and ammonium chloride, and 0.25 part of glycerine is irradiated and dissolved in eight times its quantity of water, after which the fabric is impregnated with this solution at room temperature. By virtue of the previous irradiation the glycerine, which serves as a softening agent, is capable of exerting its specific action in a far smaller quantity than would otherwise be required.

(3) 3 parts of borax, 3.5 parts of ammonium phosphate and 4.5 parts of ammonium chloride are commixed with 1 part of previously irradiated sodium fluoride. The mixture is then dissolved in eight times its quantity of water, wood being afterwards impregnated with this solution in a manner known per se at a temperature of 50 C.

. by the spraying or dipping process.

(4) 3 parts of borax, 2.5 parts each of ammonium phosphate and ammonium chloride, and 0.25 part of salicyclic acid are irradiated in the manner described above, dissolved in water and employed for the impregnation of wood in a known manner.

Iclaim: 1. A fireproofing composition consisting of a mixture of approximately equal quantities of borax, acid ammonium phosphate and alkaline 2. A fireprooflng composition consisting of a mixture of approximately equal quantities of borax, acid ammonium phosphate and alkaline ammonium chloride together with a percentual addition of not more than 10% of irradiated glycerine as softening agent, the acid properties of the ammonium phosphate being neutralised by the borax and ammonium chloride in the mixture.

3. A fireprooflng composition consisting of a mixture of approximately equal quantities of borax, acid ammonium phosphate and alkaline ammonium chloride together with a percentual addition of not more than 10% of an irradiated preserving agent, the acid properties of the ammonium phosphate being neutralised by the borax and ammonium chloride in the mixture.

-4. A fireprooflng composition as claimed in claim 3 in which the preserving agent is selected from'the following group of substances: salicylic acid, sodium fluoride, corrosive sublimate and copper sulphate.

5. A fireproofing composition consisting of a mixtur of approximately equal quantities of borax, acid ammonium phosphate and alkaline ammonium chloride together with a percentual addition not exceeding 10% of irradiated dextrine as adhesive agent and irradiated salicylic acid as preserving agent, the acid properties of the ammonium phosphate being neutralised by the borax and ammonium chloride in the mixture.

6. A fireprooflng composition consisting of a mixture of approximately equal quantities of irradiated dextrine as adhesive agent and 0.25

part by weight of irradiated salicylic acid as preserving agent.

8. A fireprooflng composition consisting of a mixture of approximately equal quantities of borax, acid ammonium phosphate and alkaline ammonium chloride together with a percentual addition of irradiated preserving agent and of irradiated dextrine as adhesive agent, the total addition not exceeding 10%.

'9. A fireproofing composition consisting of a mixture of approximately equal quantities of borax, acid ammonium phosphate and alkaline ammonium chloride together with a percentual addition of irradiated preserving agent and of irradiated glycerine as softening agent, the total addition not exceeding 10%.

WALTER HERZ. 

